SOH1: No-till farming
What you must do to get paid for this action and advice on how to do it.
This is an action in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme: expanded offer for 2024. You must read the SFI scheme information to understand the scheme rules and how to apply.
Duration
3 years
How much you’ll be paid
£73 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that no-tillage (‘no-till’) farming techniques are used, so soil disturbance is minimised.
The purpose of this is to:
- improve soil health, fertility, structure, soil water storage and reduce soil runoff
- help to keep organic matter and nutrients in the soil
- provide benefits for carbon, water quality and biodiversity
- help protect historic environment features
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
- an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information)
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
You cannot do this action on land where you’re tilling narrow strips of soil to plant crops, leaving the areas between the rows untilled. This is known as ‘strip tillage’.
Eligible land
| Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code |
|---|---|---|
| Arable land used to grow crops | Arable land | Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops |
| Temporary grassland (only if it’s part of the crop rotation and present for no more than 2 years of this action’s duration) | Arable land | TG01 |
| Arable land lying fallow (only if it’s part of the crop rotation and present for no more than 2 years of this action’s duration) | Arable land | FA01 |
Eligibility of protected land
| Protected land | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) | Eligible – you must get SSSI consent before you do this action (read section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this) |
| Historic and archaeological features | Eligible – you must get a SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this) |
Available area you can enter into this action
Total available area in a land parcel.
Rotational or static action
This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
What to do
You must establish crops on land entered into this action using a ‘no-till’ direct drill or broadcasting equipment.
For the purposes of this action:
- crops include ‘cash crops’, cover crops and temporary grassland (a ‘cash crop’ means a crop grown to be harvested for commercial use)
- direct drills include tine drills, disc drills and precision seed drills
- any following harrow tines must be rearward facing
You must not use conventional or shallow min-till cultivation machinery (except for a stubble rake or straw harrow with rearward facing tines):
- to prepare the land for sowing crops
- between harvesting (or destroying cover crops) and sowing crops
Where necessary, you can carry out the following on land that does not contain historic or archaeological features:
- low disturbance subsoiling to reduce soil compaction during the crop rotation - for example, if there’s bad weather when you harvest the crop
- mole draining to help natural drainage
You must keep evidence if you do subsoiling or mole draining.
You must not carry out subsoiling or mole draining on land with historic or archaeological features. This includes scheduled monuments (which would require scheduled monument consent). Read section 10.1 ‘Scheduled monument consent’ in the SFI scheme information for further details.
When to do it
You must do this action:
- from its start date, unless you have a crop in place when this action starts which does not meet this action’s requirements
- throughout each year of this action’s duration
If there’s a crop in place when this action starts which does not meet this action’s requirements, you must do this action:
- as soon as possible after the crop is harvested or destroyed
- within 12 months of this action’s start date
How to do it
It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:
- follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
- do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim
You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:
- field operations at a land parcel level (including if you’ve had to carry out low-disturbance subsoiling to reduce compaction or mole-draining) and associated invoices
- photographs and other documentation
If it’s not clear that you’ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.
Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action
You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.
Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read ‘What to do’ and ‘When to do it’ to find out when this action must be done.
| Scheme | Action or option codes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| SFI 2024 actions | AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, AHW10, OFA1, OFA6, OFC3, OFM4, SOH4, AGF1, AGF2, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH2, SOH3, CAHL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2, CIGL2 | ||
| SFI 2023 actions | AHL2, IPM1, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1, SAM2, IGL2 | ||
| CS options | AB1, AB2, AB5, AB6, AB7, AB9, AB10, AB11, AB13, AB14, AB15, GS3, SW5, SW6, OP1, OP2, OP5, OR3, OT3 | ||
| ES options | No ES revenue options | ||
| SFI pilot standards | SFI pilot arable and horticultural soils standard – introductory level |
If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. See section 6. ‘Eligible land in other funding schemes’ in the SFI scheme information for more details.
You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
- SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
- CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
- the introductory level of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard
Advice to help you do this action
The following advice may help you to do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
How to prepare for a no-till system
No-till works best on drier, more stable, well-structured and well-drained soils.
Before you enter land into this action, it may help you to:
- ask your agronomist to assess your land’s suitability for a no-till system
- do the soil assessment and management plan for CSAM1 to assess your soil’s structure and work out how no-till can fit in with your wider farm operations
- identify and deal with any soil compaction
You may find it helpful to read the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) factsheet on ‘No-till: opportunities and challenges for cereal and oilseed growers’.
Choosing equipment for no-till
To introduce a no-till farming system, you’ll need to either:
- adapt existing cultivation equipment and seed drills for no-till – you can speak to machinery manufacturers for advice on this
- buy a no-till or zero till direct drill – you may be able to get funding for no-till machinery through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF).
A no-till or zero till direct drill drills seeds directly into the stubble of a previous crop that’s had no cultivation after harvest. This leaves the majority of the previous crop residue undisturbed after drilling, which can help:
- increase organic matter in the soil
- rainfall to soak into the soil, which can reduce surface runoff and soil erosion
The most suitable direct drill type for your land will depend on local conditions and soil type.
Establishing crops
Crop yields can sometimes decline during the first 3 years. Yields normally recover as the health of the soil improves.
Crop residues can retain nitrogen, which is needed in the soil to help crops grow. This can delay crops establishing in the short term. Over time, microbes in the soil will adapt so nitrogen can be absorbed by crops better. This helps crops to establish quicker.
In systems where straw is chopped, you can spread the chopped straw and chaff evenly across the field using a stubble rake or straw harrow with rearward facing tines. This can help to encourage germination.
You can use rolling post drilling.
How to control weeds, pests and diseases
Weed, pest and disease control can be difficult in no-till systems.
To help you control weeds for a no-till system, you can:
- increase the seed rate
- rotate the type of crops you grow from year to year
- sow cover crops to improve the health of soil
- use non-selective herbicides before drilling
You can use precision pesticide application systems, like a spot sprayer or weed wiper, to reduce your use of pesticides. To help you do this, you can get paid under SFI to do the following precision farming actions:
- PRF2: Camera or remote sensor guided herbicide spraying
- PRF3: Non-mechanical robotic weeding
You may need to control slugs during crop establishment.
You may find it helpful to do CIPM1: Assess integrated pest management and produce a plan to help you identify and discuss opportunities for using IPM with a BASIS qualified adviser.
Improving natural drainage
This action allows you to use mole drains to improve natural drainage, where necessary. This can help to prevent compaction. You may find it helpful to read the AHDB’s guidance on ‘Field drainage: Use of mole drains’.
Updates to this page
Published 21 May 2024Last updated 15 August 2024 + show all updates
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AHW5 and AHW11 removed from SFI 2024 actions.
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Where you can do this action - an eligible land type is defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information. Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information. What to do - replaced ‘broadcasting equipment’ with ‘any following harrow tines must be rearward facing’. You can carry out mole draining to help natural drainage on land that does not contain historic or archaeological features. Evidence to keep - you must keep evidence if it’s been necessary to carry out mole draining. Other actions or options you can do on the same area - CIGL2 added to SFI 2024 actions, IGL2 added to SFI23 actions, OR4 and OT4 removed from CS options. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements.
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First published.